Are You Afraid of the Dark?
by Funnykido
Summary: A short, fluffy one-shot. Will Ron and Hermione be able to overcome their fears, of darkness. . . and eachother?


Are _you_ afraid of the dark?

"Checkmate," Said Ron triumphantly, jumping up and stretching.

"You cheated, I know you did! I was careful that time, you _couldn't _have beaten me," Hermione countered disbelievingly.

"The chessboard doesn't lie Hermione dear!"

Hermione sank back into the faded green flowered-print loveseat with a pout.

As Ron was gathering the pieces off of the chessboard, the lights flickered once, twice, three times , sending horrific shadows across the walls and floors, and then went off, sending them into inky blackness.

"What's that? What happened," Hermione cried searching blindly for Ron, and upon finding him launching herself into his lap and locking her arms around his neck in an iron-tight grip he hadn't thought her capable of.

"Hermione. . . can't breathe," Ron breathed out in a strangled voice.

Jumping off of him she replied, "Oh right. . . sorry," while thanking Merlin it was too dark to see the blush coloring her cheeks.

"Right then," he said awkwardly, reaching for his wand. He whispered _Lumos_ and they were cast into a shadowy, spotty light. "You can hardly see, but it's enough for now." Hermione heard Ron get up and walk towards her, then a moment later a muffled sound of a large something hit the large area rug spread over the parlor of The Burrow.

"Ron. . . ron?"

"I'm fine." As he struggled off the ground. "This will never do, I'll have to go get candles or else we'll be tripping all over eachother."

Thinking to herself that she would really not mind that at all, she said out loud, "No! Stay! I mean. . . you don't have to leave, this light is fine! Perfectly substantial," as she mentally slapped herself for sounding like a Witch-In-Distress.

Giving her a cocky grin that Hermione thought she would like to slap, or possibly other things, off, Ron responded, "You're scared of the dark, aren't you!"

"Am not, I was just worried about your safety," Hermione responded indignantly.

"And you need big, strong Ron to protect you," he continued on.

Hermione chose not to respond, instead shooting him a scathing glare and turning her head to the side.

Deciding a change of tactics would be in order, Ron sat down next to Hermione and put an arm around her saying, "All right Hermione dear, I'll stay, if you say you aren't afraid then you must not. . ." as he shot her a challenging grin.

Needless to say Hermione's suspicions were aroused, but she chose to ignore them and instead said haughtily, "That's right."

One Minute Later. . .

"What was that? I heard something, do you think somebody's come to attack us? Oh no," she cried her face paling, "He's coming!"

Containing his laughter, thought not easily, Ron said, "Who is coming, Hermione?"

"Mr. Snugglebunk," she replied burying her head into the crook of Ron's arm.

Feeling the vibrations rumbling his toned chest, _Which faintly smells like Evergreen, I wonder what type of soap he uses,_ she thought, from his laughter Hermione's head shot up and she fixed an accusatory glare upon Ron that would have sent the Basilik slithering back to it's Mommy like a garden snake.

"Mr. _Snugglebunk_," Ron choked out.

"Yes. My mother told me he lived in my closet and would come after me if I didn't brush my teeth every night and morning," she responded primly, smoothing out an invisible wrinkle on her sleeve and sitting up straighter.

Ron collapsed into laughter, holding his stomach and supporting himself on Hermione, eventually falling onto her lap.

As his chuckles subsided he realized with a start his head was in Hermione's laps. Realizing he didn't much care that it was there himself, but deciding he had better move it before she chose to do it herself, he swung up quickly and cleared his throat.

"So. . ." Hermione said softly turning to Ron. Watching his failed attempts to make his hair lie flat, and battling with herself to let him do it himself, or do it for him, Hermione's natural bossiness characteristics won out.

"Oh really Ron," she scolded whilst reaching out and patting down his hair. Admitting defeat for the first battle, she ran her thumb lightly across her mouth, causing Ron to gulp audibly as he witnessed this particular sight, and went back at his hair like a determined general on march.

Finally satisfied with her work a few minutes later she sat back smiling softly.

Hermione trained her gaze on Ron, only to find him looking steadily back at her.

"What?"

"Nothing," he said softly with a sigh, looking away.

Hermione poked him, teasing, "Your so weird Ronniekins."

"I hope you know I'll have to punish you now," he responded to her ruthless name-calling, poking her back in her side, eliciting a loud giggle from his damsel.

"Ron, stop," Hermione gasped.

"Ticklish are we," he said with a devilish grin that was frankly, making Hermione quite nervous, but nevertheless was making the butterflies quite restless in her stomach, thinking of all the things that the smile he bestowed on her now could _proceed_.

Poking her again in the side, Hermione managed a futile attempt to wrench away from his strong, capable hands.

Ron was now mercilessly engaging in a tickle-war, which Hermione, for all her battle tactics and strategies, was clearly losing.

Trying one last time to wrench away from Ron's grasp, Hermione hurtled backwards, pulling Ron on top of her, though neither realized it just then.

"Alright, alright, you win," Hermione cried, finally admitting defeat.

"I knew you'd see it my way, you just needed some _persuasion_."

Unconsciously licking her lips, her mind raced through the possibilities instilled in that one word, putting "Hogwarts Cleverest Witches" mind to good use.

Feeling her warm, soft breath caressing his face, Ron's eyes finally took note of the proximity between the two, or rather _lack of._

Hermione's breath caught in her throat as she realized the same thing a split second later.

Unable to resist the urge, Ron reached out and took a strand of Hermione's hair, _Frizzy, yet soft_, he thought in the back of his mind, between his fingers and gently tucked it behind her ear, getting an almost primal satisfaction from hearing her gasp as his hand brushed her ear.

Almost by instinct it seemed, their faces drew closer together, sending them both to the brink of cardiac arrests. No thoughts registered in their brains, only the feeling that this, above all other things they had ever felt, was right and exactly as it should be.

Their breaths lingered and danced in a dizzying waltz across each other's faces, leaving sweet warm traces behind, provoking longing sighs from both.

Their excitement bubbled to a peak, and just as they thought their hearts would burst from anticipation and excitement, their lips met in a soft caress, that despite the gentle motion, invoked fireworks in the others belly.

Their lips swayed together to a song only they knew, happy and content, for they knew that had found their match. The match you find once in a lifetime, if you are lucky.

Though regretting it, the need for air became apparent, and they reluctantly broke away, gasping gulps of air.

"Hermione," breathed Ron.

"Yes," Hermione asked softly, breathing heavily, her pupils dilated.

"You are _so_ afraid of the dark."

A/N: How'd you like it? I'm not sure if I'll be able to get the next chapter of Opposite Attraction out before Christmas, and so I already pretty much had this written out, and I was feeling guilty, so I decided to just get my act together and get this out just in case. This is just a one-shot, if your wondering, and sorry if it seems a bit cheesy, but I was _trying_ to be witty in this one, and trying a bit of innuendo, if any of you caught it in there. Thanks for reading, and Merry Christmas/Kwanza/Hanukkah!


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